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The Pittsburgh area must address housing imbalances in both the home ownership and rental markets, Allegheny County's executive told lawmakers Wednesday.
"Housing is the foundation from which we grow from," said Executive Sara Innamorato.
Innamorato testified before a House Housing & Community Development Committee hearing in Pittsburgh. The hearing focused on increasing the supply of houses in the area.
Innamorato outlined the findings of a new county housing needs assessment.
The county's supply of starter homes is dwindling making it harder for first-time buyers to enter the market, she said.
The county lost thousands of apartments renting at $1,000 a month in recent years while gaining thousands of apartments renting at $2,000 a month, she said.
The county needs apartments in the middle price range for rents, Innamorato added.
Innamorato said having affordable housing is key to the health of small businesses and Main Street commercial districts.
Pittsburgh is moving on two fronts to address housing needs, said Matt Singer, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Corey O'Connor.
The city is rewriting its zoning code and overhauling its permit process to make home building and renovations easier, said Singer.
The permit changes include fast-tracking simple home modifications and virtual inspections for small home projects, he added.
The way to make housing affordable is to increase inventory, said David Dean, president of Pennsylvania Association of Realtors.
Zoning codes must be changed to diversify from detached single family homes and allow accessory dwelling units (ADU), said Lena Andrews, chief officer of Action-Housing Inc., a nonprofit.
Rep. Probst seeks Senate votes
Meanwhile, state Rep. Tarah Probst, D-Monroe, a committee member, called on the Republican-
controlled Senate to take up two House-passed housing bills in the waning days of the 2025-26 legislative session.
She referred to House Bill 1257, a proposed state constitutional amendment exempting certain disabled veterans and their surviving spouses from school property taxes and House Bill 1250 protecting residents of manufactured home communities from excessive rent hikes.
HB1257 applies to veterans deemed at least 50% disabled regardless of whether their disability resulted from combat service.
HB 1250 is a response to private equity firms buying mobile home parks.
HB1250 ties annual lot increases to the rate of inflation and outlines disclosure and residents rights.
Probst sponsored House Bill 1257 and state Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, sponsored House Bill 1250.
State action
The state budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 creates a database of public housing.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority is directed by the Fiscal Code, Senate Bill 146, to maintain a searchable public database of housing financed by its programs.
It's to be updated annually.
But no major initiatives tackling the problem of affordable housing were enacted with the budget.
The House and Senate show some bipartisan support for removing legal barriers to ADU in residential neighborhoods.
The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee approved Senate Bill 1346, an ADU bill sponsored by state Sen. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland, last July.
The House voted 139-62 last June for House Bill 2186, a similar ADU bill sponsored by state Rep. John Inglis, D-Allegheny. HB2186 gives individuals the right to build an accessory unit in an area zoned for single family homes while allowing municipalities to make reasonable restrictions on a unit.